STYLE GURU STYLE: It's All French To Me

Bonjour, Fashionistas! Comment allez-vous?

And that’s about all the French I know. While I might not be a master of the French language, I can say there is a real part of me that is very into French culture and constantly longs for that easy, laid-back aesthetic that seems to be an intrinsic quality of every French girl. For example, doesn’t it seem as if Audrey Tautou rolls out of bed and instantly looks that effortlessly good? I don’t look half as chic as she does when I just roll out of bed. (Scratch that, I don’t look chic at all when I do this.) While we’re on the topic, why can’t  I pull off loose-fitting menswear inspired looks and disheveled hairstyles as well as Clémence Poésy can?

As someone who is part French, I feel as if I’m entitled to this seemingly nonchalant style too. However, I’m usually not surrounded by a ton of French people—and thus a ton of French styles—on a daily basis. It’s hard to be fully inspired by a culture style-wise when you’re not actually in that culture. This is why we have the Internet, fellow Fashionistas! We, too, can immerse ourselves in French culture (or, at the very least, dip our toes in it) from the comfort of our homes in the good old U.S.A. We can view countless images of French street style, learn a phrase or two in French, watch French films and (most importantly) get immensely inspired by the glorious runway shows of Paris Fashion Week.

One of my favorite French labels is See by Chloé. The aesthetic of the brand embodies everything that I’ve ever wanted to project style-wise, so I decided to incorporate some styling from their fall 2015 collection into my own wardrobe. I was particularly stuck by the layering techniques used in look five. I loved how the textured knit was carried throughout the outfit literally from head to toe, and I also loved how this look hinted at autumn styles without fully throwing them in your face. This look shows that you don’t have to cover up completely just because fall is officially here. Go ahead and juxtapose some long, loose sweaters with bare legs while the weather still enables you to do so.

For my look, I layered a gray duster cardigan over a black sweater and black skater skirt. From my embarrassingly large collection of ankle boots, I chose a black pair with buckles and layered some gray socks with them. I then topped it all of with a slouchy beanie to further heighten that French je ne sais quoi that See by Chloé carried throughout their collection.

While it may not be in all of us to conquer the French language (trust me, my aforementioned French-speaking skills probably aren’t going to improve any time soon), this doesn’t mean we can’t become masters of French style with a little help from See by Chloé.

Get My Look: 1. Long gray cardigan. 2. Black skirt. 3. Slouchy beanie.

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